The Black Wolf
by Noppoh
Summary: ONE-SHOT Rey finds a badly injured, massive, black wolf in the forest. What will she do? And what consequences will it have? - Werewolf AU; Reylo


AN: The idea for this story came to me after a visual prompt that is part of the weekly drabbles at the 'Strictly Reylo' Facebook page. What was supposed to be a drabble turned out to be full one-shot. I want to thank the Admins of this page for finding us writers a new source of inspiration every week.

Visual prompt: alligatorjesie _dot_ tumblr _dot_ com '/' image '/' 178834663353 (change _dot_ to an actual . plus remove ' and spaces )

Disclaimer: All things Star Wars belongs to Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Walt Disney Co. and whoever else holds copyright to the Star Wars franchise.

 **The Black Wolf**

Rey sighed as she bundled up. The weather was getting colder and she needed to stock up on provisions to get through the winter. She swung her bow and quiver across her back and checked the knife strapped to her leg. Looking at her scarf, she decided to better have it with her than risk getting cold.

Her breath clouded in the air as she walked out of her hut. She'd been building it over the years and it finally resembled something she could call a home. Those first winters had been brutal – the walls not anywhere near isolated enough – and she had nearly died of hypothermia on several occasions. Now, she was fairly certain she could keep warm. All there was left was to ensure she had enough food to survive.

Moving through the woods, she allowed herself to be mesmerized by the multitude of colours around her. She never really could decide whether spring or fall was her favourite season; one showed fragility that would grow into strength, the other showed the beauty of aging and the richness of the earth.

For the course of the morning, she settled herself at a drinking spot in the hopes to shoot a deer. When it was obvious none would come, Rey decided to check on her traps and pluck fruits. Both the traps and a large patch of blackberry bushes were located towards the east.

Humming under her breath – there was no use in staying quite now that she had forsaken her hunting – she climbed the slope that would take her out of the valley. Much to her delight, two unlucky rabbits had found themselves ensnared.

As she continued on, an unknown noise reached her ears. Knocking an arrow, she cautiously went out in search of its source. Some would call her an idiot for doing so – preferring to head the other way and away from potential trouble. Rey, however, thought it was best to know beforehand what ran through the woods.

Reaching a clearing, she kept between the trees while scanning the area. A frown appeared on her face as she spotted a large, furry lump on the other side. Keeping to the trees, she followed the edge of the clearing to get closer. She gasped when recognition hit her. Right in front of her was the biggest wolf she had ever seen, and it was seriously injured.

xXxXxXx

He had rebelled. He had finally rebelled against pack leader Snoke and he paid the price for it. Every breath hurt him. His entire body hurt, and he knew he was bleeding from several lacerations. Vaguely, he wondered if he could even move.

He was certain he would have won had not Hux and Phasma come to Snoke's aid. It was a true betrayal of the packs rules, but it merely showed how right he had been to challenge Snoke's leadership. He was not fit to lead but was turning the pack into a perversion of what it should be.

An unknown smell assaulted his nose and he turned his head towards its source. A wisp of a girl was staring at him from the edge of the clearing, an arrow knocked on her bow even though she was not aiming it at him, not yet. He growled and tried to get up. Much to his mortification, he immediately collapsed again, pain radiating everywhere while exhaustion and blood loss made his vision swim.

"Oh!"

The girl's voice rang clear through the crisp air. Blinking, Kylo focussed on her again. She had taken a couple of steps into the clearing. He let out another warning growl, but she didn't seem deterred.

 _I truly must look near death,_ he thought ruefully. _Perhaps an arrow between the eyes isn't such a bad way to die._ He shook his head to dispel the thought, a small whine escaping him at the pain it caused.

Much to his surprise, however, the girl unknocked her arrow and swung her bow back around her shoulders.

"You poor thing."

 _Poor thing?_ He was almost twice her size and she called him a 'poor thing'? What was wrong with her?

She slowly advanced on him and he curled inward – preparing for one lunge, one attempt to protect himself. He hated being this weak. He also hated that his former packmates had left him to die. Another breach of packlaw.

The girl slowed down but didn't stop her advance. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm not going to hurt you. Well, not any more than you already are," she added.

He snorted. A sound that came out as a small, sad sounding bark. At least the girl had a sense of humour. Still, he didn't trust her. He growled again and this time it did cause her to stop.

"You really are pretty messed up, aren't you?"

 _Talk about the understatement of the year._ He watched her as she started untying one of the rabbits on her belt.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I really need one for myself. Winter is coming, you know. But you can have this one."

He stared at her in consternation as she tossed the rabbit towards him. It landed right in front of his nose.

"Go on then."

Not taking his eyes off of her, he reached out and locked his teeth around the rabbits body. The girl beamed at him, then started hopping from one foot onto the other. She glanced to the east, back at him, and then to the north. This repeated itself a couple of times before she finally seemed to make a decision.

"Don't go anywhere," she said before dashing away.

 _As if I could._ With the girl gone, he returned his attention to the rabbit and mentally shrugged. It would be a waste to let any meat go bad, even if it was as tiny as a rabbit.

The girl's scent reached him again and he saw her bound back into the clearing. The bow and arrow were replaced by what seemed to be a staff, and a bag was resting between her shoulder blades. He noticed the moment she spotted all that was left of the rabbit as she gave him a bright smile.

"I hope you enjoyed it," she said, approaching him again. "I know it probably doesn't really count as a meal for you, but every little bit helps, right?"

She was steadily walking towards him, her hands open and held by her side. He growled as she came too close. It turned more menacing as she didn't even slow down.

"I only want to help," she said. "Let me treat your wounds. I've got herbs with me, and thread and needle to sow the large one on your chest. I promise I won't harm you."

He nipped at her as she came within range but she nimbly jumped away.

"Oh, hush!" she stated, sounding exasperated. "You can barely move."

Kylo growled one more time for good measure, then reluctantly allowed her within his personal space. He rested his head on the ground, making sure he could keep watching her. Her hand reached out and he shivered when she buried it in the fur on his shoulder.

"You're beautiful," she whispered. "Black as the night. Strong."

His surprise vocalised itself as a small yelp and she quickly snatched back her hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I hurting you? You have a wound on your shoulder too? I'm sorry, I didn't see it."

She started unpacking the bag and proceeded to mix herbs and water in a wooden bowl. Then, she pulled some cloth out of the bag and poured water over it.

"I'm sorry, this might sting or hurt a bit. Please don't bite me."

He huffed at that. Wasn't she the one who had just told him he could hardly move? He turned his head slightly away from her, hoping she would understand it as acquiescence. If she wanted to try and help, fine; it wasn't like she could make it any worse. Had she wanted to kill him, she would have done so by then.

An unwanted whine escaped him as she started wiping the dirt and filth out of his wounds. Her constant repeating of 'I'm sorry' amused him. When she wasn't rubbing at his wounds, the gentle touch of her hands repeatedly made him shiver. It wasn't often that someone dragged their hands through his fur.

"There," she said, dropping the now bloodied cloth and reaching for the wooden bowl. "These should help against the infection."

She started applying the herbal paste on his wounds. It stung a little, but he figured that was a good sign.

"How did you become this big?" she suddenly murmured.

He barked in amusement, causing her the jump slightly.

"I'm getting the strange feeling you can understand me," she said, eying him.

 _You have no idea._

With a shrug, she returned to tending his wounds. "In case you do, I'm Rey. I live in a hut to the north."

She worked in silence for a while until all the wounds on his side were plastered with the paste. She looked at him and he stared right back.

"I'm going to have to tend to that nasty looking wound from your eye to your chest," she said.

Carefully, slowly, she reached out and put her hand on top of his head. When he didn't react, she started softly running her fingers through his fur. The feeling was utterly divine. Unbidden, his eyes drooped close and his ears relaxed.

"You like that, don't you?"

He opened one eye again to look at her. She stopped her petting – much to his disappointment – and grabbed her stuff before walking around him and nudging his shoulder.

"Can you shift? You know, lean to the side so I can properly reach this?"

Growling with annoyance – he really didn't want to move – he did as he was asked.

"Thank you!"

He thought she sounded way too happy.

"This needs stitching. I'm sorry, that's going to hurt. I won't put a lot of them in there, though. I don't have all that much thread for it, plus I won't be there to pull it out for you once it's healed."

He huffed again and allowed her to work on him.

xXxXxXx

By the time she was finished with the wolf's last wound, the sky was turning into the orange hues of sundown. Rey looked at the end-result. It had taken up most of her herbs and a lot of time, but she had done all she could for the animal. She didn't know why, but she had felt the urge – no, the need – to help.

"I hope this does the trick."

She couldn't resist petting the wolf between its ears again. The fur was rough but had a soft under layer. It amused her that the big animal seemed to turn putty under her hands as she scratched it. With a remorseful sigh, she pulled away and started gathering her things.

"I'm sorry, but the sun is going down and I need to get back home," she spoke. The wolf made one of those small throaty noises it had been making while she was tending to it. "I really hope you survive this. I hope what I did was enough."

She looked at the unmoving animal, herbal patches scattered over its body and rubbed into its fur. The wolf looked right back at her, not even blinking.

"I'll come back tomorrow, okay? Please stay alive."

Rey felt stupid talking to the wolf like that; it felt even stupider to feel like it could understand her. With no other option but to head home, she gave it a small wave and walked away. She still had a rabbit to skin and its pelt to deal with. Hopefully, she would manage it before it was truly dark out. She needed her candles for the upcoming winter.

Her night had been filled with dreams full of deep growls and black fur. She decided to check up on the wolf before making a second attempt at a hunt. Eating a quick breakfast, she was out the door in record time. Dew had formed on the forest bushes and was dripping from the trees, making her smile. She thought there was a certain joyful serenity to it.

Her smile, however, turned into a frown when she came upon the clearing – the wolf was nowhere in sight. Even what little that had remained from the rabbit was gone. Afraid something or someone had attacked it, she rushed into the open space to look for clues.

Much to her relief, there was no fresh blood on the ground. From the tracks on the ground, she deduced that the wolf had managed to walk away somewhere during the night, and that another animal had searched the area but then left as well. Rey hoped it wasn't whatever had hurt the black wolf in the first place. Staring into the trees, she wished it all the luck and her hope for its survival, before she shrugged and moved on.

xXxXxXx

Too long, it had taken him too long to heal. He had managed to survive on small prey but he had still lost a lot of weight – which was a bad idea now that winter had arrived.

That morning, he'd woken up to a light dusting of snow on the ground. He shivered in the cold and shook himself to dispel as much of the wet snow from his fur as he could. There were no packmates to keep him warm, no sheltered place to hide from the elements. He had become a lone wolf.

Snoke and his crew had come looking for him more than once, but he had managed to evade them. By now, they probably thought he was dead. Without the girl's intervention, that was exactly what would have happened. He owed her his life.

It was that sentiment that made him travel north. 'A hut' she had said. He would find the clearing and search from there. His nose would tell him when he came near her home; the area would no doubt bare tracings of her smell.

He had thought about her a lot in the past few weeks, about the girl that had called him a 'poor thing'. Truth be told, she fascinated him. How could one so small be so brave? He hoped she had managed to stock up enough to get through the cold and the snow.

Evening was nearing when the scent of smoke finally reached him. Turning his head this way and that, he determined where it was coming from and trotted on. It wasn't long before he reached the rickety construction the girl had called a 'hut'. He tilted his head to the side as he studied it. Already he could see a couple of possible improvements to the structure.

 _What does it matter?_

Shaking his head, he went to explore his surroundings before it became too dark. He ignored the panicking chickens in the coop next to the hut. As he jogged in a large circle, he pondered on whether or not to make his presence known to the girl. Eventually, Kylo decided not to. He didn't want to scare her. Besides, he didn't know how long he would stay around; he merely wanted to check up on her.

Feeling like he got a good sense of the lay of the land surrounding him, he curled up in a hollow next to a tree, bushes at his back. Tomorrow, he would see the girl and then decide where to go next.

xXxXxXx

About three weeks passed and every day he told himself that the next day he would leave. He had already chased away two entrepreneurial foxes – and scared the chickens into a frenzy in the process – feeling like it was the only way he could repay her for her kindness.

In reality, he enjoyed watching the girl putter around when she came outside to feed her chickens and chop wood. He felt restless as he travelled away from the hut to hunt for food. He told himself it was because of the lack of a pack to hunt with him, but deep down he knew it was because he was leaving her behind.

The urge to protect her was growing every day, and he hated it.

He told himself he wasn't worried when, one day, he heard a litany of 'No! No! No!' come from the hut. It sounded somewhat desperate and was followed by cursing and what he figured was a shout of frustration. That night he had slept against the back wall of the hut. The chickens had stopped their frantic scurrying around after a couple of minutes. Even a chicken couldn't panic for eternity.

The next morning, he'd stared at her intently from between the trees but had seen nothing wrong. Rey seemed determined as ever as she gathered snow to melt and chopped wood for the fire.

Later that day, however, the smoke coming out of her hut started smelling like burned meat. In the weeks that followed, he could see her drastically losing weight. He theorized that some of the meat she had preserved must have gone bad.

It annoyed and frustrated him that there was nothing he could do without making his presence known. He wanted to help, to do _something._ Yet, he doubted his presence would be wanted so he stayed hidden, chasing away foxes and keeping an eye on her.

When, one morning, he noticed her leaving her hut all bundled up and with her bow slung over her shoulders, he understood exactly how much trouble she was in. The look in her eyes was fiercely determined, her gaunt face set in stark lines. Even the shin-deep snow on the ground obviously wasn't going to stop her from trying to hunt.

He followed her from a distance, relying more on scent than on sight to keep track of her. When she reached the creek, she wandered up-stream to a point where the water wasn't completely frozen. She settled between the bushes to wait and – much to his consternation – took off her gloves to knock an arrow on her bow.

His presence prevented deer and the like to come near the creek, he knew, but he couldn't help staring at the woman shivering in the snow. Did she not know she would freeze to death?

Shaking his head, he started sniffing the air and quickly managed to determine there were no deer to be found in the vicinity. After a final glance at Rey, he set out into the woods, hoping she would stay where she was without dying. In the worst case scenario, he could curl up around her and keep her warm. He just hoped it wouldn't come to that.

After what he guessed was an hour and half, he finally spotted a small herd of deer. He ignored his instinct to hunt and instead circled around them. When the wind carried his scent towards the prey animals they, as one, lifted their heads and bolted. Kylo chased after them, trying to herd them in Rey's direction. He would help her by bringing her a deer to shoot.

Much to his happiness, his plan worked. He delighted in her shout of triumph as she felled one of the deer with a clean shot. Even though he was winded from trying to herd the deer towards her, he started circling the area while she gutted the animal. The stark scent of blood would attract other predators and scavengers, especially now that it was the middle of winter.

When they finally got home – Rey staggering under the weight of the deer and exhaustion – he once more curled up behind her hut. It was comforting to hear her move around inside, to smell the blood from the dear and the scent of meat cooking, to hear the small sounds of pleasure she made as she ate the fresh meat, and to hear her lick her fingers afterwards. He knew she would be fine; with the meat of the deer, she would be able to get through the remaining winter.

xXxXxXx

Despite his certainty of her survival, he stayed around. It annoyed him that he seemed so unable to leave. He told himself it was because winter wasn't over yet and unexpected things could happen. He convinced himself he didn't want to see even one chicken die at the mouth of a fox after having chased them away for so long.

He knew, however, that he stayed because he _liked_ her, liked her tenacity and stubbornness. He knew, but that didn't mean he acknowledged it though.

As the snow started thinning, he noticed she had a tendency to go out more. It confused him, since she never brought her bow but only her staff. After a while, he realised she merely liked to go out for walks after being cooped up in that hut for so long. Sometimes he followed her, sometimes he left her to it.

Like today. Only half an hour ago had she appeared from her hut and set off with a bright smile on her face. Kylo had watched her go and decided he'd rather laze in the weak sunlight than follow her around.

He was stretched out on his side, wondering if the sun really was giving off some warmth or if he was only imagining it, when a scream pierced the air.

In a flash he was up and running. _Rey!_ It had been her, he was certain of it. She didn't talk much, but he knew her voice, knew the sound of it. He followed her lingering scent. When the wind brought other, well-known scents, he speeded up even more. This could _not_ be happening.

He burst from the trees and leapt between Snoke and Rey, snarling at his former master. A quick glance backwards told him the pack had only been playing with her. She was standing with her staff at the ready, some cuts and bruises were visible on her arms and there was one larger gash across her ribs. The smell of blood hung heavy in the air.

Snoke was laughing like a madman, Hux and Phasma at his flanks grinning along.

"Now look who we have here," Snoke spoke in their mind-to-mind communication. "It seems you managed to survive. Tell me how, tell me, because we were sure you were on death's door when we left you."

Kylo merely growled at him.

"Oh, the great Kylo Ren is angry!" Snoke sniggered. "Look at him, protecting a puny human. Did she adopt you as her dog?" He laughed at his own joke. "Are you going to stop us from hurting her? Don't worry, my boy, you won't have to protect her for long."

At those words, he realised he'd been so focused on Snoke that he'd neglected keeping an eye on his seconds. He turned just in time to see Hux launch himself towards Rey. The girl managed to evade the snapping teeth, but the impact with the much bigger wolf still send her flying across the clearing. She landed with a sickening thud.

Rage enveloped Kylo. With his hackles rising, he bared his teeth and attacked. Hux – who was still advancing on Rey – noticed him too late and Kylo managed to wrap his teeth around the russet wolf's neck.

They fought – Kylo making sure he stayed between Rey and the others. Every time they clashed they were a ball of claws and teeth. Hux, however, was no match for him, and when Kylo broke one of his legs, the wolf flattened himself in surrender.

Above all else, Hux was a survivor. He crawled away, posture low and submissive, until he was a safe distance away. Kylo watched as he stood and limped out of sight. He knew Hux wouldn't come back because Hux knew that returning meant his death.

"Pathetic fool."

Kylo turned back to face Snoke after those derisive words. At Snoke's side, Phasma was glancing between the two of them and the spot where Hux had disappeared between the trees. As Kylo turned to look right at her in challenge, she lowered her head – in respect, not quite submission, much to his amusement – and retreated.

Snoke growled in fury. "Traitors!" he shouted, before making an obvious attempt to calm himself. "But no need for them. Dear Kylo, my boy, do you truly think of fighting me? It must have been such a hard winter for you. No packmates to keep you warm, no home to shelter you, having to hunt on your own, and having had such a bad start to begin with. You were beaten last time, and now, you don't even stand a chance."

Instead of answering, Kylo jumped at the dark grey wolf. It was time to end him; to end this wolf who's pack he had joined for its promises of power and unity – only to see packlaws be violated one by one. Snoke was an abomination, one that needed to be purged.

Belying his age, Snoke evaded Kylo's attack, retaliating in kind. Kylo had to use all his strength and agility to fight the ancient wolf. However, he had learned a lot the last time he had fought him. Drawing on that knowledge, Kylo managed to evade most of Snoke's feints and to draw the fight away from where Rey was still lying on the ground.

 _Rey._ Above all, he wanted to protect her, to make sure the pack would never come find her or harm her. The need to protect spurred him on. Blood coated both his and Snoke's fur, but he couldn't care less; Snoke was limping after a vicious blow to his shoulder. They split and faced off, both breathing heavy.

"Do you really think you can achieve greatness without me?" Snoke taunted. "I am what made you! I am the only reason you amounted to anything! Stop this madness, boy. Come to your senses and come back to my side, where you belong."

Kylo lowered his head, his ears ever so slightly turning backwards.

"I can see that you want to. You are strong, but you need leadership still. Come to me and I will teach you. I will show you how to rule a pack. I can see that that is what you want."

 _Old fool._ From his crouched, seemingly submissive position, Kylo pounced. Distracted by his premature triumph, Snoke failed to evade. With a growl that expressed all his fury and contempt, Kylo sunk his teeth in Snoke's throat and promptly tore it to pieces.

The dark grey wolf died gurgling his own blood. Kylo tried to drown out the offensive sound as he shook himself to dispel any undried blood from his fur. Not wasting any more time, he trotted over to Rey.

She was leaning on her arms, a pained expression on her face. He wondered if she was scared of him now – a beast made for killing – but when he stepped over her legs, she only stared at him in astonishment.

Rey raised her hand and buried it in the fur near his elbow. "You!" she breathed. "Thank you." Then, she fainted.

He all but panicked. Whining, he nudged her with his nose, but there was no response. He even went as far as licking her face, but still she remained motionless. After walking in distressed circles, he decided there was only one thing left he could do.

xXxXxXx

She felt warm, pleasantly warm, like waking up in a nest of blankets with a fire roaring in the heart. Humming in contentment, she tried to move on her side but froze when pain shot across her ribs. As she tried to carefully breathe in, she noticed something restricting around her midriff.

Puzzled, she attempted to recall her last memory and gasped as the incident with the wolves flashed before her eyes. What had happened after she'd fainted? Where was the black wolf? She finally opened her eyes. And how had she gotten home, bandaged and warm under blankets? Someone must have helped her!

Startled by the realisation, she shot up in her nest of blankets and promptly fell back down again as a searing pain took her breath.

"Don't move."

Rey's head snapped to the side. "Who are you? Oh!"

"I'm Kylo Ren."

She stared at the stranger that was awkwardly standing at the far side of her cabin, his eyes intent on her.

"You're not wearing a shirt."

He barked out a laugh. "I don't really need one, certainly not with the fire going."

She kept on staring at him. He was tall – almost reaching the ceiling of her little hut – and was strongly build. His black hair was about shoulder length but a bit shabby looking, as if he had had some mishaps while trying to cut it himself. The redness on his jaw, combined with a couple of small cuts, suggested he'd also recently shaven.

Her eyes travelled downwards, past the broad shoulders, along the six-pack – no! eight-pack – and down that manly V-line that disappeared in his low-hanging trousers. Suddenly experiencing a dry mouth, Rey licked her lips and tried to swallow.

"Do you need some water?"

Her eyes shot up to his again. "Uhm, yes, that would be, uhm, that would be nice."

"Can I come closer? I don't want to scare you."

She blinked. _Scare me? Why would he scare me? Wait, why isn't he scaring me?_ Rey frowned as she realised there was a massive guy in her hut while she was pretty much immobilised and she didn't feel scared or apprehensive at all. There was something familiar about him, something that set her at ease.

"You- you can come closer," she finally said. "I guess if you wished me harm you wouldn't have done, well, all this."

His mouth twitched but he didn't respond. Rey watched him as he walked around, his movements somehow awkward and unsure. It was a contradiction to the sheer power he exuded.

"How did I get home?" she asked as he gave her a cup filled with molten snow.

"I brought you here."

"How did you know where I live?"

"You told me." He sat himself on the ground, just out of reach.

"I told you?"

"Yes."

"Then how did you find me?"

"I was there."

"What do you mean 'you were there'?"

"When you got attacked, when they fought."

"You were?" Rey cried out. "Then why didn't you help?"

"I did help, I fought."

"What?"

He didn't answer, just looked at her. Rey stared back, feeling drawn to the darkness in his eyes.

"So, you saw the whole thing?" she finally asked.

"Yes."

"Do you know what happened to the black wolf?"

The man – _Kylo_ she reminded herself – hesitated, worrying his lips.

"He brought you home," he finally answered.

"He helped you bring me home?"

"No, he's the one who brought you home."

"But you said _you_ were the one to bring me here."

"Yes."

"You're not making any sense."

His lips twitched again, belying the sad expression in his eyes. "I'll try to make dinner," he said, standing. "It's been a while though, I make no promises of it being edible."

"You have a wife at home? Is she waiting for you?"

"No."

"A girlfriend then?"

"No."

"Then how is it 'been a while' since you made food?"

Again no response. She stared at him, utterly confused. Who on earth was he?

"Have I been out the entire day?" she asked, suddenly realising he had used the word 'dinner', meaning it was evening.

"Yes. You lost quite a lot of blood from your wound." He halted his movements and glanced at her, seemingly embarrassed. "I- uhm. I bandaged it up, along with your bruised ribs. I remembered the herbs but didn't know the right amounts of each, so, uhm, I hope I'm not poisoning you."

"You _remembered_ the herbs?"

He nodded and pointed to the rack next to the door. "That one, and that one."

"You don't know what they're called?"

"No."

"But you _remembered_ them?"

"Yes." He once more glanced at her. "Am I poisoning you?"

"No. No, not possible."

Rey stared at him, hard, taking in that strong build, the black hair, the awkward movements. Only now did she notice the scratches on his sides. _No, impossible! There's no such thing! Can't be!_

"Who _are_ you?"

"Kylo Ren."

" _What_ are you?"

He glanced at her again. "Don't worry, I'll be gone as soon as you recover. I won't impose myself."

"That's not what I asked."

Silence.

" _Who_ are you?"

"The one who brought you home."

"The wolf brought me home."

He stopped cutting up the meat he had found. "That's because I _am_ the wolf."

Rey watched as he tensed, as if he expected her to scream at him, or panic, or attack, or something. It was disconcerting to see such a strong man be so apprehensive of someone's opinion.

"You saved me," she finally answered.

Kylo looked at her, surprise clearly written across his face. "Uhm."

"You though I would be scared of you? You saved me."

He seemed embarrassed as he reached for one of the dried-out vegetables and started chopping that too.

"I had a score to settle."

"Were they the ones who hurt you that one time?"

"Yes."

"Will they come back?"

"Not if they're smart."

"You can turn into a wolf?"

He looked at her again, surprised at her change of subject.

"Yes."

"Like, all the time? No full moon restrictions and all?"

Kylo snorted. "No, none of that."

"Can I see?"

This time, he almost dropped the knife.

"What?"

"Can I see?"

He stared at her.

"Uhm, if- if you want, I guess? Just, uhm, not here. I don't think I'd fit."

Rey looked around her hut. "No, I guess you wouldn't." She gave him a hard look. "Then promise you won't just disappear on me one day."

"I- You- What?"

"Promise me you won't just disappear."

"Uhm- Okay?"

She watched his utterly bewildered expression and decided not to push the uncertainty in his voice. Allowing herself a satisfied smile, she settled back into the blankets.

"Thank you for taking care of me," she said, closing her eyes.

"I didn't want you to get hurt."

She thought that was a strange thing to say, but didn't pay it any more attention as her eyes drifted close again. A hand on her shoulder shook her awake again sometime later.

"Dinner is ready."

He was crouching next to her, scooting backwards as soon as she opened her eyes. Rey frowned at his behaviour and he scooted further away at her expression. She wondered why and decided to test it.

"Help me up?" she asked, only half faking her struggle to sit up.

He startled. "I- Uhm- I-"

Worrying his lips again, he carefully reached out and put his hand on her back to support her. His touch was surprisingly warm and gentle. As soon as she was settled, however, he quickly retreated, awkwardly gathering their dinner.

Rey smiled at him. It was obvious he hadn't been around people for a long time. She wondered if he'd even switched from wolf to human once ever since she patched him up. Muttering a 'thanks' she accepted the bowl and spoon he offered her. Albeit a little bland, the stew didn't taste bad at all.

"So, if you're a wolf – wait, are you a wolf? A werewolf? A shifter?"

"Call me whatever, just not shifters, they can choose their appearances."

"Are you telling me that exists too?"

"If I exist, why not them?"

"I- This- I'm- What?" She blinked rapidly, trying to expel her errant thoughts. "Never mind. I was just wondering if you have a pack."

"I had one."

"Had?"

" _They_ were my pack."

Rey gasped. "Then why did they attack you?"

"They didn't, not really. I challenged Snoke, the packleader, the dark grey one. Snoke went against packlaw and ordered his seconds to attack me when he noticed he was going to lose."

"He didn't!"

Kylo shrugged. "It's settled now."

They finished the rest of their dinner in silence. After, Rey watched as Kylo washed up the plates and stored them away.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked.

"No, not at the moment."

"Okay then, I'll see you in the morning." He walked towards the door.

"Hey! Wait! Where are you going?"

"To sleep," he answered, looking at her like she'd asked him the stupidest question ever.

"Outside?"

"Of course."

"You can't sleep outside!"

He looked from her, to the door, and back. "Where do you think I've been sleeping these last months?"

"But it's cold."

"You get used to it."

"No!"

"No?"

"No, you can sleep in here," she stated with certainty.

Rey almost laughed as his eyes grew wide as saucers. The utter shock on his face was beyond comical.

"There's no need for you to sleep outside in the cold," she repeated. "Take a blanket; I'm sure it's more comfortable in here."

"Are- Are you sure?"

"Of course, come on."

He looked at her as if he expected her to change her mind and yell at him. With careful movements, he grabbed the blanket she offered him. Rey thought he acted like a scared animal. Finally, he settled himself in front of the hearth. A bit late, Rey realised the blanket wasn't anywhere near large enough to cover his frame.

"Uhm, you can have more blankets, if you like," she said, a bit embarrassed by her oversight.

"No need, I run a higher temperature than you."

"Oh, okay."

With nothing left to say, Rey buried herself in her own blankets and allowed herself to drift off to sleep.

xXxXxXx

Kylo woke up as the sun started rising. Even from within the hut, he could feel the difference between the moonlight and sunlight.

He opened his eyes and stretched. The blanket had been discarded somewhere during the night, his own body temperature being more than enough to keep him warm in the heated hut. Sitting up, he watched the sleeping Rey.

She was most definitely a unique person, he decided. She had patched him up when any other human would have killed him, didn't scream or freak out when she woke up with him in her house, nor when she found out he was a werewolf, and even allowed him to sleep in the same room as her. Decidedly unique.

He couldn't help the small smile that curled his lips as she mumbled in her sleep. No matter how fierce she was out in the world, when she slept, he decided, she was downright adorable. He stood up trying hard not to think about how long it would last. Certainly, as soon as she was fully healed again, she would kick him out.

As he rekindled the fire and started reheating the leftover stew for breakfast, he heard her sigh and mutter something very akin to 'bloody mornings'. He snorted in amusement.

"Oh! You're already up."

"I know when the sun starts to rise." He wondered why he kept telling her all those things.

There was a moment of silence. "Well, it's when there's light at the horizon," she said, not quite making it into a question, but not quite a statement either.

He barked out a laugh. "There's that," he acknowledged, "but I can _feel_ it."

"You can actually _feel_ feel it?"

Turning to her, he was happy to see she had managed to sit up on her own. "Yes," he answered, wondering what her reaction would be.

"Oh! How cool! Is it because you're linked to the moon? Or is that another myth? Are you linked to the sun? Is it an animal instinct?"

 _Well, that's not what I was expecting._

"I'm sorry," she said, looking away. "I'm asking too many question, personal ones, probably. I shouldn't have."

He shook himself out of his surprised silence. "I don't mind," he stated, carefully choosing his words lest he say something stupid. "I was surprised, not offended." As he turned back towards the heating pot of stew, he contemplated on how to answer. "I'm not sure whether we're linked to the sun or the moon. We can change forms whenever we want. It just feels like- like-" He faltered, trying to find something he could compare it with. "Like the difference between shadow and sunlight. I just feel it."

Kylo waited for a response while he divided the stew over two bowls, but none came. Grabbing one of the bowls to give to her, he found her staring at him, her head tilted to the side.

"Uhm…"

"You're fascinating."

"UHM…" _What?_ He tried to hide is embarrassment by dragging his free hand through his hair.

"You want me to fix your hair for you?"

"My hair?" _How does she keep track of herself?_

"Yes. It looks like you tried to cut it yourself, but failed." She covered her mouth with her hands. "I'm sorry, that was rude!"

Kylo laughed. "But true," he added.

"So, you want me to fix it?"

"You want to cut my hair?"

"Yes. I'll try to keep it the same length, I'll just, you know, make it neater."

He couldn't remember the last time someone cut his hair for him. The idea was … tempting.

"After breakfast?" he asked, not entirely sure she meant her offer.

"Okay."

The beaming smile she send him made him feel like puffing up his chest. He resisted the urge, however, handing her the bowl of stew he still held in one hand. "Eat."

They ate their breakfast in silence and afterwards Rey directed him to where she kept her scissors. It amused him that she needed to sit on the single chair she possessed while he sat on the floor in order for her to properly see what she was doing. She was such a petite woman. It was incredible how much bravery and strength that tiny form of hers possessed.

Kylo dozed as Rey's hands carded through his hair. It felt almost as good as being petted in his wolf-form; not that he would ever admit to that. He smoothed out his breathing – in through the nose, out through the mouth – as he allowed the touch to relax him.

He was feeling pretty mellow when a known smell reached him. He bolted upright and sniffed the air again, growling lightly.

"What's wrong?" Rey asked.

Kylo growled again. "Stay here," he said, standing up. "Don't come out."

"Kylo?"

"Stay here!" he repeated, opening the door and walking out in the early morning light.

Once outside, he walked out of hearing range from the hut and waited. It wasn't long before Phasma appeared from between the trees, her head and tail low, her ears back in greeting. Kylo bared his teeth, showing her his displeasure at her presence.

"Transform."

She promptly obeyed and he watched as the light-coloured wolf transformed into a tall, strong, blonde woman. Her eyes were averted and her head slightly bowed. It was as submissive as Phasma would get, Kylo knew; any other wolf would have slightly hunched the shoulders as well.

"Why are you here?" he demanded.

"You killed Snoke."

He shifted his stance. "I did."

"You are our pack leader now."

Kylo snorted, but didn't respond.

"You should come back to the pack."

"I have no interest in a corrupted pack, let alone in trying to lead one."

"You could lead us back to the old ways."

"You could get lost."

Phasma glanced up at him. "The path of a lone wolf is hard and treacherous." He answered her with silence. "There is no way I can convince you?"

"No."

"Then give the Mark to me."

He laughed. " _You_ want to lead the pack?"

Phasma straightened from her submissive position. "Well, you hurt Hux pretty badly. The pack won't accept him now."

"You and I both know that if Hux ever tried to challenge you, he'd lose," he answered.

"No need to hurt his feelings," Phasma answered, giving him a smug and predatory grin. "Let's just blame it on his injuries."

The comment renewed his laughter. Phasma kept unapologetically grinning at him. He had always like her – cocky, arrogant, unwilling to submit, and good at following orders, as long as it suited her. Kylo took a breath and turned serious again.

"Why did you retreat from the fight?"

"Snoke had gone too far. He was no longer a suitable leader."

"Are you saying that because you mean it? Or because you think it will make me give you my Mark?"

"Sir!" she exclaimed, looking affronted. "At this moment _you_ are my packleader! I would never lie to my master!"

Kylo rolled his eyes. "Right." He studied her, suppressing a smile at her righteous indignation. "There will be conditions," he finally said.

"The girl," Phasma commented, her eyes flickering towards the hut.

"And the lands," he added.

"Elaborate."

"The girl is not to be harmed, harassed or hindered in any way. You and the pack will not interact with her. You and the pack will not hunt in the surrounding area, nor prevent hunting possibilities for the girl. The immediate surrounding of the hut is completely off limits. She will not see you, hear you, or notice your presence. I want her safe."

Phasma tilted her head to the side in wonder, but agreed.

"Furthermore, you will acknowledge me as a lone wolf. However, you will not prevent me from entering your lands. The girl is unaware of the borders and therefore allowed to enter your lands as well. You will not retaliate, you will not harm her."

"What if she starts hunting in our domain?"

"I sincerely doubt the hunt of one small human would harm you, but if such a thing would happen, you and you alone, as pack leader, are allowed to drive her out."

"Agreed. Although I don't understand what's so special about that tiny human."

Kylo growled, causing Phasma to throw up her hands with a muttered 'sorry'.

"Let's get this over with," he grouched, taking a step back and turning into his wolf-form. Phasma followed his lead. "I am giving you the Mark," he thought to her, "but I'm not acknowledging you as my pack leader."

"I know, I know!"

Deliberately, Kylo lowered himself on the ground, tail tucked in and ears completely flat. He hated it, but he saw the sense in it. The pack would come pester him endlessly or would go out of control without a proper leader.

Phasma puffed up her chest and fur before walking to him. She clasped her teeth around his scruff. "Do you submit?"

"I submit."

He hated the words, but they were necessary. A tingling feeling spread over him as his packleader Mark got transferred to Phasma.

"I acknowledge you as a lone wolf," she stated formally as he stood from the ground, giving himself a good shake. "You are no longer part of our pack but free to roam our lands. We will honour the conditions upon which you bestowed me the Mark."

"Good, now off you go." He grumbled as she hesitated. "What?"

"Did she save your life?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad she did." With that, she turned and trotted away.

Confused, he watched her disappear. Eventually he shrugged and went back to the hut, returning to his human form right before opening the door. He started at finding Rey just next to it, leaning against the wall.

"Are you okay?" she immediately asked. "Is everything alright? Was it them?"

"You shouldn't be up."

"What happened?"

He took her elbow and guided her back to her nest of blankets. "It was Phasma, yes. There were a couple of loose ends to be dealt with. It's done now, they won't bother you anymore."

"But… Aren't they your pack?"

"I already told you that they're not anymore."

"But now that you defeated this Snoke wolf…"

"I have refused to re-join them."

"Why? You would have a family."

He glanced at her at the longing tone of her voice. "This is a troubled pack. Now lie down again and stop aggravating the wound on your ribs." He helped her settle and stood. "I'll go chop some wood. Don't. Move."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but he raised an eyebrow and she huffed an acknowledgment. Smiling, he walked back out the door.

xXxXxXx

She watched him as he hauled in the small tree he had felled. The firewood was running low thus more needed to be brought in, or so Kylo had decided. He refused to let her help, even though she had been fully healed and back on her feet for almost a week.

It was a joy to watch him work. He still refused to wear a shirt most of the time, so she had a free view of the rippling muscles in his arms and back. It made her mouth water.

"You're fully healed now," he said, grabbing the axe.

"And yet you won't let me do anything," she quipped.

"Not while I'm still here," he grumbled. The axe came down on the tree trunk. "But I guess it's about time I leave."

"Oh." Disappointment surged through her. "Why?" She liked having him around.

"I have imposed myself long enough. You are fully healed now."

Rey frowned. "You're not imposing."

She thought there was a slight hesitation in his movements, but still the axe swung up and down.

"I should be going."

"Why don't you stay?" He froze. "I sure could use a guard dog," she added, pinching her lips to prevent herself from laughing.

She could see how he drew his shoulders back, anger making him scowl, but when he turned towards her – and no doubt saw her mischievous expression – he glared.

"Guard dog, huh?"

Faster than her eyes could follow, he transformed into the black wolf she knew so well and pounced on her. She fell flat on her back, a large paw on her chest and teeth a hairsbreadth from her face. Giggling, Rey lifted her hand and patted him between the ears.

"Good doggy."

Kylo growled and plopped down on top of her, his entire, much too large, body sprawled across hers while his nose tickled against her neck. Laughing and squirming, she tried to get out from underneath him, but he wouldn't let her.

"Okay!" she hiccupped. " Okay! I surrender." Both her hands were buried in his fur. She really loved the way it felt and wished she could hug or pet him more often.

He huffed in response, flicking his tail.

"You're not getting off?"

Another huff, this time accompanied with a small, harmless nip of his teeth against her jaw.

"Hey!" Rey protested, before laughing again. "Alright, alright! You're not a guard dog. You're a big black, beautiful, magnificent, scary wolf."

He let out a small bark and started to rise. Just as she thought he was going to step away, he gave her a wolfish grin and licked her face before darting off.

"You prat!" She vigorously started rubbing her face with her T-shirt. "I'll get you for this!" she yelled, before running after him.

Half an hour later, they were both lying flat on their backs next to each other – Kylo having returned to his human form – and panting.

"Did you mean it?" he asked.

Rey turned her head to look at him, surprised at how small he had sounded.

"Do I mean what?"

"I can stay?"

She turned fully onto her side and put a hand on his chest. He momentarily froze before covering it with his.

"Yes," she said, her voice clear. "Yes. I want you to stay, Kylo Ren. I like you. I feel safe when you're around."

He met her eyes. She once again got lost in the dark depths of them. So much was hidden there. She could see the moment he took a decision by the way they flickered.

His hand left hers to cup her cheek. "I like you too."


End file.
